


belong anywhere

by flusteredkeith (lavendori), lavendori



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Airbnb au, Alternate Universe, I'm Truly Sorry For This Fic, M/M, halfway tiptoes towards a fake dating au, keith never thought his host would be That Hot, super romcom vibes, this was birthed on accident
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 03:57:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18161177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavendori/pseuds/flusteredkeith, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavendori/pseuds/lavendori
Summary: Allura keeps trying to set Keith up with a boyfriend and using her wedding as an opportunity is no exception. Keith does the only thing a sensible person would do: take his hot Airbnb host as a plus one.Keith raises an eyebrow.'There’s no pressure to go out on a real date.'No matter what Allura says, it sure doesn’t feel that way. He needs an out.“At least let me introduce you? I mean, do you have any real reason not to—”“I’m bringing someone else,” Keith blurts out.Allura’s eyes widen. “Well, you sure keptthatone a secret.”





	belong anywhere

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ravager_rose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravager_rose/gifts).



> this fic is for dara, without whom this fic would not exist. she spoke and it happened. dara, you were my first sheith friend ever so it's fitting that eventually, one of these fics would be dedicated to you <3 you welcomed me into the fandom and never stopped making me feel at peace/home here so thank you for everything. I LOVE YOU. i'm sorry this fic is so silly and stupid akjdlakslda. i hope it's fluffy to your tastes tho :) BIG LOVE <3
> 
> also, not beta'd, so i apologize for any errors >_<
> 
> other than that.. enjoy :)

_ What can we help you find, Keith? _

In the next second, the Airbnb website loads the rest of its contents beneath it. Eyes glazing past the words on the screen, Keith settles into his seat at the computer desk and clicks into the  _ Search Anywhere _ box above it while Hunk continues rattling away in his ear.

“Oh my god, I’m  _ so _ glad I called you, Keith. Who knows where you would’ve ended up if I hadn’t decided to check in on you? I mean, like, the whole time, Pidge and I just assumed you’d already found a place to stay on your own because you never said anything about it in our group chat when we asked. It would’ve been so easy, why didn’t you say something?”

Keith rolls his eyes as he types in the words  _ Los Angeles _ into the Airbnb search bar and hits enter. “It slipped my mind.”

The page loads with a list of suggestions in the area just as Hunk cries, “But  _ how, _ Keith? The wedding is all we’ve been talking about for months now.”

“Don’t mistake your experience for mine,” Keith says simply. Hunk’s voice gets loud enough for Kosmo to lift his head up and bark from his futon in the corner. “Shh, it’s okay, Kosmo, it’s just Hunk.”

“But you are like, literally _ in _ the party with us, how have you — oh my god, did you mute our group chat again? You have it muted, don’t you. Of course you did. You really muted us. You did that. I can’t believe you. Good thing I just went ahead and booked everything for the bachelor party.”

Keith lets his silence speak for himself. It isn’t even so much the incessant notifications that bother him — those are easier to ignore. Lately, however, Allura’s been constantly hinting at the fact that there might be a guest (or guests, plural) at her wedding that she wants to try and set Keith up with. The first time the topic had been brought up, Hunk and Lance jumped in immediately to make fun of him and gush about it. It’s more on principle that had caused him to mute them rather than annoyance at their teasing; he doesn’t trust Allura’s matchmaking skills for one, he hasn’t even been actively looking to date for another, and he also refuses to be a guinea pig to Allura’s nonsense. It’s his own life. He doesn’t need anyone else’s input on the matter that isn’t his own.

Moving on with his Airbnb search, Keith clicks on the dates tab to access the drop down calendar menu in the next box and pauses there. Although Allura and Lance’s save-the-date’s and invites had already come through ages ago, Keith still forgets which weekend in April the wedding is actually going to be on.

“What are the exact dates you booked again?” he asks.

“Well, seeing as we haven’t been to LA in forever, we were thinking of flying in the Thursday before and staying until the Thursday after the wedding,” Hunk explains. Keith is about to ask for the actual numerical date when he adds, “So the 23rd through May 1st, because I’m sure you, uh… probably forgot. Also, before you ask, the wedding’s in Malibu so maybe pick something in west LA? We’re staying somewhere in Venice, near Abbot Kinney and — oh my god, I cannot  _ wait _ to try all the restaurants there! Lance told me about this deli place near there and…”

Keith zones out a bit as Hunk goes on and on about the different brunch spots and food places he’s heard about from cooking shows and famous instagram accounts. At some point, something about special taco trucks and some Oregon-based artisanal ice cream shop get mentioned as well. Navigating his cursor, Keith clicks the number 23 under  _ check in _ and the first of May under  _ check out _ before hitting submit.

“Okay, I’m gonna book a place now,” Keith says, interrupting Hunk’s monologue about the proper consistency of sous-vide eggs and which restaurants he speculates might achieve that. “I’ll email you the itinerary after.”

“Oh, okay great! Are you sure you don’t need help choosing neighborhoods—”

“I’ll be fine, Hunk, don’t worry about me.”

He hangs up before Hunk can get in another word, then takes a sip of his coffee as he scrolls down all the listings.

After about forty minutes of browsing, and Kosmo  pacing around him in an attempt to vy for his attention, Keith finally narrows his choices down to a room in Culver City, an apartment in Santa Monica, and another room in Sawtelle. All three of them look really nice and are solid options but the apartment in Santa Monica seems to be on an extremely busy intersection, which feels like a nuisance.

In the end, he settles for the room in Sawtelle. The host, Takashi Shirogane according to the name labeled beneath the photo, has the highest response rate and the best overall ratings. Upon closer look, Keith can see why. Even at a first pass, the guy appears to be an objectively attractive Asian man with a strong jaw and a friendly smile that crinkles his eyes. The longer Keith stares at the picture in the bio, the more he sees a genuine kindness in the guy’s eyes that gives Keith the impression he’s a very warm and welcoming host. There’s definitely something in his demeanor that would help make guests feel welcome and charmed.

Pulling up the message box, Keith decides to shoot him a quick line or two to go with the booking.

_ Hey, Shirogane. Keith here. Just wanted to check in and introduce myself. I’m going to be in town for a wedding in Malibu in April for a few days and thought your place would be a good fit. Thanks for accommodating me. Looking forward to hearing from you. _

As though sensing imminent betrayal, Kosmo lays his chin in Keith’s lap and starts whining.

“Sorry, Kosmo, I can’t take you this time,” he frowns down at him, scratching behind his ears. “Allura would kill me. Well. If TSA didn’t kill you first.”

Once he hits  _ book _ , he types in Hunk’s and Pidge’s email, sends the information to them, and closes his laptop.

Not two minutes later, his phone buzzes with a text from Hunk.

_ Nice, we should stop by and get ramen near your Airbnb at some point during our trip. _

Keith rolls his eyes but can’t help the smile that spreads across his face as he sets his phone down and heads to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast.

When he finishes frying an egg and buttering some toast, he finds another notification on his phone. This time, it’s from his Airbnb app: an alert that Takashi Shirogane has approved the booking followed by a message from the host.

_ Hi, Keith! Sounds awesome. The weather’s gonna be great when you visit (or, well — it always is). Let me know if you have any questions along the way. Happy to host! _

_ Also, feel free to call me Shiro. Looking forward to meeting you! _

_ Great, _ Keith thinks as he finishes his mug of coffee. That’s one more chore on his list he’s got out of the way.

 

✈✈✈

  
  


**Allura** **  
** **\-------------------------------------------------**

_ Keith!!!! _

_ Where are you? _

_ Have you landed in LA yet????? _

_ yea _

_ hunk’s dropping me off at the airbnb rn _

_ Yes, we saw his snaps _

_ Text me the address I’ll come pick you up for lunch _

 

“We’re here, Keith.”

Keith looks up from his phone as Hunk pulls up into someone’s driveway. The house looks just as it had in the photos when Keith booked the place two months ago: modest, homey, and painted in light blue and white hues. A small, Japanese black pine stands in the center of the front yard, the ground to the left of the sidewalk completely filled with rocks. It’s not perfectly composed quite like a real zen garden would be, but it has the general spirit of one.

Stuffing his phone into his pocket, he thanks Hunk and gets out of the car.

“We’ll pick you up around 6 for dinner,” Pidge confirms, rolling down the window. Keith grabs his duffel bag and waves goodbye as they drive away.

Pulling his phone back out, he opens the airbnb app to check for any details he needs to know upon arrival. There’s a Mr. Lock Box tethered to the one of the bars on the first window of the house. Stepping up to it, Keith swipes the numbers until he’s entered in the code given in the host’s instructions and opens it up to grab the house key. After reshuffling the numbers on the lock box, he inserts the key into the door’s lock and lets himself in.

A small black cat slinks around him upon entering. Unsure whether the host normally allows the cat outside or not, Keith elects to stay on the safer side and pushes the small pet back inside with his foot before hauling his duffel bag through the door and closing it behind him.

“Careful! Don’t let Black outsi— Oh, good. Looks like I didn’t need to worry at all.”

His Airbnb host has appeared in the living room, looking pleased as the cat — Black — trots back up to him with a meow. When he straightens up again, he flashes Keith a million dollar smile and holds out a hand to him.

“Hi, Keith,” he says. “Shiro. Nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Hi,” Keith says blankly. Reaching out, he takes Shiro’s hand, but is unable to resist looking him up and down as covertly as possible. When he’d seen the profile photo on Airbnb, Keith had already thought he was a looker. Now, however, standing in his foyer and shaking his hand, Keith is momentarily stunned by just how much more attractive his host really is in person.

“How was the trip?” he asks, moving immediately to help Keith carry his duffel bag. Keith can’t help shifting his eyes directly to the bulge in Shiro’s bicep as he holds Keith’s luggage at his side. “You flew in, right? From…?”

“Oh — yeah,” Keith replies, recovering enough so he can follow Shiro down the hallway and into the room he’s staying in. “Yeah, I flew. From Texas. The flight was okay. There was a crying baby and I was with my friends, but overall, decent.”

“Ah, so, just okay,” Shiro says over his shoulder. “Glad to hear you were with your friends at least.”

“Oh, no, that’s, uhh, that’s part of the ‘just okay’ part,” Keith answers.

Shiro laughs at that. Keith doesn’t know what’s so funny; he’s just telling it like it is. Hunk and Pidge has argued about coding talk for the majority of the time until Hunk finally conked out and Pidge continued clacking away on her laptop, all while a baby cried on and off in the aisle behind them.

“I’m sure your friends love you, too,” he chuckles. He stops at the second door after the bathroom and pushes it open. “Here we are. This is you.”

Shiro drops his duffel bag on the bed as Keith steps in after him.

“Thanks.”

“There’s a brita filter and various food items in the fridge so feel free to help yourself to those,” Shiro explains. “Towels are on your bed and basic toiletries in the bathroom. Oh, and there’s a bag of coffee beans in the cupboard which you can also help yourself to in the morning. Or whenever, really, if you’re the type to drink at night, be my guest.”

“Sounds good,” Keith nods.

“What do you have planned for the week, if you don’t mind me asking,” Shiro asks with a smile. “I could give you some recommendations if you’d like, and there are some travel guides lying around on the coffee table in the living room as well.”

“Oh, uhh, I’m mostly here for a wedding,” Keith replies. “Other than that, I think my friends want to eat their way around LA.”

“Always a good idea,” Shiro approves. “Restaurant culture is pretty awesome here. I’ll be in and out here and there so don’t mind me. I can be out of your way as much as you want, or I can show you around town if you need a tour guide. My day’s pretty open on Saturday.”

“Thanks,” Keith says, finding himself smiling. “The wedding's on Saturday but I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Great, well, I actually need to take Black out to the vet today so I should probably get going but let me know if you need anything, alright?”

“Will do.”

“Cool,” Shiro grins. “See you around, Keith. Hope you enjoy your stay.”

Keith stares after his figure retreating down the hallway.

“Thanks.”

 

✈✈✈

 

Lunch with Allura starts out nicely. After catching him up on her wedding stress, honeymoon plans, and how she  _ really  _ feels now that their big day is so soon, Keith fills her in on how he, Hunk, and Pidge have been doing, the new ships and restaurants that have opened up in town in Allura’s absence, and a bit of what they all got up to during Lance’s bachelor party.

It isn’t until they get ice cream afterwards that Allura drops the dreaded bomb on him.

“So,” she says all business-like, plastering a big grin on her face. “I have someone I want you to meet.”

“Yes,” Keith grumbles after a generous lick of his chocolate ice cream. “You mentioned that already.”

“I  _ know _ you have the group chat muted,” Allura purses her lips, pointing her spoon at him in an accusatory fashion. “Which is why I’m giving you the details now. He’s a friend of Romelle’s and is going to be at the wedding. I think you two would really get along!”

“Allura, for the last time, I don’t —  _ need _ — anyone to set me up on a date,” Keith groans. “I’m not even really looking.”

“I know, I know. You say that now, but I just think in some circumstances, it could be worth checking out. There’s no pressure to go out on a real date, I just wanted you to meet someone, that’s all. Even if you just became friends, that would be fine as well.”

Keith raises an eyebrow.  _ There’s no pressure to go out on a real date.  _ No matter what Allura says, it sure doesn’t feel that way. He needs an out.

“Will you at least consider it?” she asks with a small frown.

Keith crosses his arms and looks away. “No.”

“At least let me introduce you? I mean, do you  have any real reason not to—”

“I’m bringing someone else,” Keith blurts out, inspiration hitting him out of nowhere.  Shiro has said he’d be free on Saturday and he seems like a nice enough guy to possibly do Keith a favor… 

Allura’s eyes widen. “Welll, you sure kept  _ that  _ one a secret.”

“It’s — uh — kind of recent,” Keith mumbles, looking down at the table and trying to keep up an earnest face. “I know it’s rude to ask for a plus one so last minute but… that’s part of why I held off on asking. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course you can,” Allura says, still looking shocked. “When did this happen? Did he fly in with you? I didn’t see him in Hunk’s snaps or—”

“He’s from here,” Keith invents wildly. “He’s lived in SoCal all his life.”

“Really?” Allura asks, intrigued. “I thought you said you weren’t looking.”

“I wasn’t,” Keith insists. “This sort of just… happened.”

Allura nods, taking another bite of her ice cream. “So how did you two meet?”

“Uhh…” Keith trails off, trying to think fast. Allura raises a suspicious eyebrow, putting extra pressure on him to come up with a good lie, but the only thing that pops into his mind is browsing his Airbnb page for the first time. “Online.”

Her expression clears. “Oh! Keith, that’s lovely! Plenty of people meet online these days, you don’t have to be embarrassed about it.”

“Yeah — well.” Keith shrugs. “That’s that. It’s out in the open now.”

“Wow.” Allura blinks a few times before beating at him. “That’s great, Keith! What’s his name?”

“Uhh…” Keith  _ really  _ hopes Shiro will agree to this because once he gives her a name, it’ll be set in stone in Allura’s book. “Shiro.”

“I hope he doesn’t mind if we don’t have his name on our table guest list,” Allura says. “It’s definitely not going to be a problem for him to come but just so you know.”

“I’m sure that’ll be the least of his worries,” Keith assures her with a wry smile.

“I’m glad to hear that,” she grins, patting Keith on the shoulder. “I can’t wait to meet him!”

Keith does his best to keep smiling.

 

✈✈✈

 

_ “Hey, so uhh, I have a favor to ask. You said you were free on Saturday, right?” _

_ “You mentioned your day was pretty open this Saturday so I was wondering if maybe, you’d like to hang out? At the wedding? — Oh. Yeah. With me. But not like that! It’s—” _

_ “Hey. You like free food, right? Who doesn’t? Anyway, you know how I mentioned I’m going to a wedding this Saturday?” _

Keith grumbles internally as he stares out of Allura’s car window. Having finished their ice cream, they are now on the way back to his Airbnb. While Allura continues to blabber on about the last minute wedding dress trouble she had faced at the tailor’s, Keith runs through different scenarios in his head of how to best pose this strange situation to Shiro.

_ “Hey, if it’s not too much trouble, would you like to come to the wedding on Saturday? As a friend, but also… not…” _

Keith frowns.  _ No, that’s stupid. This is stupid. Why did I even say it in the first place? I can’t believe I landed myself in this stupid situation— _

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Keith turns back to Allura and only then does he realize he’s been scowling pretty big.

“Nothing,” he fibs, rearranging his face back to true neutral. “Just tired. There was a crying baby on the plane.”

“Understandable,” Allura says sympathetically.

A few minutes later, she finally pulls into the street where he’s staying.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the rehearsal dinner then?” she asks.

“Yeah, definitely,” Keith replies. Pushing open the door, he climbs out of the car and waves her off.

A wave of nervousness hits Keith as he steps up to Shiro’s front door. Now that he’s face to face with the reality of his own lie, he’s not entirely sure he should go through with this all the way.

But as the memory of Allura’s eager smile and the thought of Lance’s skepticism once she inevitably updates him on the news of Keith bringing a plus one to the wedding surfaces, Keith solidifies his resolve. There’s no backing out now.

Inserting the key into the door lock, he opens it and lets himself in.

“Welcome back,” Shiro greets before Keith finishes closing the door behind him. He’s sitting at the dining table to the left of the entrance with a coffee mug in hand, laptop opened up before him.

“Hi,” Keith returns, taking his shoes off. He walks up closer to the dining table and casually leans against the corner of it at the end. “How’s the cat?”

“She’s doing alright,” he chuckles. “She’s hiding right now because she always feels betrayed after a trip to the vet, but she’ll come around soon. How was lunch?”

The memory of Allura’s excited expression upon the news that Keith supposedly had someone to bring as a plus one comes to mind at once. “Umm, it was… good.”

“Are you sure?” Shiro asks, amused. “You don’t sound too convinced.”

“Well, actually…” Keith suddenly finds it difficult to look Shiro in the eye.  _ Just ask him, _ he wills himself. Before he knows it, the words are tumbling out of his mouth.

“Would you like to come to the wedding with me on Saturday?”

Shiro sets down his coffee mug.

“You’re inviting me to your friend’s wedding?” he asks. His tone is pleasant, curious. The quiet gentleness of it seeps its way into Keith’s chest and somehow soothes his nervousness prior to bringing it up.

“Yeah,” Keith smiles, easy. “No pressure though. It’s just — my friend who’s getting married — she always gets on my case and likes to try and play matchmaker by setting me up with people. I kind of want to avoid that at the wedding. And I thought, you seem like a cool guy. And people find weddings… fun. Maybe you can come as my plus one. It’ll just be a nice time.”

Shiro smiles back. “Ah. That’s really nice of you to think of me. Are you sure it’ll really be alright though? I wouldn’t want to gatecrash.”

“You wouldn’t be,” Keith assures him. “I’m in the party and I just asked the bride while we were at lunch so… they kinda  _ have _ to let you in.”

Shiro chuckles. “I did say I was free this Saturday.”

“One of my friends, who’s a groomsman and a great cook, went cake tasting with the bride,” Keith mentions. “So it’s essentially a guarantee that there’ll be really good food.”

“Wow. I mean, good food at a wedding? Who can say no to that?”

“Again, no pressure though,” Keith says, while his mind roars  _ Pressure! Lots of Pressure! _

“Hmm,” Shiro hums, placing his fingers under his chin as he appraises Keith over his laptop. “Alright. I’m in. It sounds like fun.”

“Really? — I mean — uh, thanks,” Keith finishes lamely. Shiro is grinning, clearly having caught his slip up.

“No, thank  _ you _ for the invite,” Shiro says.

Keith can barely suppress the smirk that’s starting to spread across his face. Shiro is the perfect date material; Allura’s gonna  _ love _ him.

 

✈✈✈

 

The rehearsal dinner flies by the way any sort of routine-filled event does. Judging by Lance’s raised eyebrow the moment he lays eyes on Keith when Keith walks in, Allura’s told him about Keith’s mysterious plus one.

Keith hasn’t said a word to Hunk or Pidge about it and he’s not sure how necessary it is. He’s not good with this sort of small talk anyway so he resolves to play it by ear.

The venue is at an event center that sits neatly on the sandy shore of the Pacific Ocean. Having only been to LA a handful of times, Keith had expected it to be as unbearably hot and sunny as everyone had always said about the city. Instead, with May apparently comes beautiful clouds that bring out an unreal blue color from the water and a mild breeze that offsets the sun’s heat just right. Hunk notices this too and comments on it during lunch and Lance responds by reminding everyone that they purposefully picked May 25, the “Perfect Date” as established by some movie Keith’s never watched, for their wedding.

Coran, Romelle, James, and several other familiar faces whom Keith has not seen in a while, are all here for the celebration. As much as Keith likes to be alone, it really is nice to have everyone together again under the same roof. There’s a warm familiarity in the air between them, mingled with excitement and a heart-filled energy of just  _ being reunited _ . With the wedding now only a few hours away, Keith can tell that these feelings of euphoria are only just beginning.

“So what’s Shiro up to tonight?”

While the others are wrapped up in one of Coran’s board games in the dining room, Allura finds Keith on a step stool in the corner of the foyer, putting up the last of the decorations up along the walls.

“Oh, uhh…” Keith tries to think back to the last time he talked to Shiro but he has no recollection of whether Shiro had mentioned what he was doing today. The only thing that comes to mind is the list of ‘fun LA things to do’ that Shiro had given him at the start of his trip. “He went to an improv show. He’d already bought tickets with some friends so he couldn’t back out of it.”

“Ooh, the one in Hollywood?” Allura gushes. Keith has no idea where any of these shows takep lace so he just nods. “Very fun. The performers at that theatre is really great! It’s a shame you couldn’t go.”

“It’s fine,” Keith shrugs, ripping a generous amount of masking tape off its dispenser. Holding the streamer up against the fold between wall and ceiling, he places the tape underneath it and sticks it on. “There’s no way I’d miss an event this important.”

Allura glances down at the ground and smiles. “I suppose. I’m really glad you are here, Keith. Everything has been so hectic, I haven’t been able to breathe.”

“How are you feeling?” he asks, looking down at her. Although he and Hunk are both on Lance’s side of the bridal party, he is Allura’s best friend before anything else. While Keith isn’t one for  _ duties _ and  _ social obligations _ , he does ultimately care a great deal for his longest time friend.

Allura shakes her head and grins up at him. “I’m excited, honestly. There’s a lot going on and it’s been stressful, but everything is slowly coming together — the logistics, the party favors, the guests, and seeing everyone together again in the same place and— oh, I don’t know,” she breaks off, her voice cracking and eyes glassy. Keith steps off the stool and leans his elbows over the handle, waiting for her to continue. “It’s a lot of good things happening at once. Strangely, that can all be rather overwhelming.”

Glancing back up, she gives Keith a watery smile.

“I’m really happy,” she says with a nod. “Overjoyed, even. But mostly — just happy. Really happy.”

Keith grins back at her. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. You deserve to be happy.”

Before he knows it, he’s pulled into a hug, Allura’s arms wrapped tightly around his middle.

“Thank you,” she whispers in his ear. Smiling, Keith pats her awkwardly on the back. No matter how long they’ve been friends, it’s a habit he can never shake. He’s never been a huggy person.

When she pulls back, she wipes her eyes and beams up at him. “You deserve to be happy, too. I hope Shiro can be that person for you. I can’t wait to meet him.”

Guilt starts to eat away at Keith’s insides at these words. After the heartfelt moment they’ve just shared, he feels a little shitty for having lied to her about something as big as his dating life.

But — he supposes — the damage is already done.

“Yeah… yeah,” he nods, scratching the back of his head. “Me too.”

 

✈✈✈

 

Although the rehearsal party goes on for pretty late, Keith gets home before Shiro does, so he takes a quick shower and hangs his tux up for tomorrow. It isn’t until half past midnight that he finally hears the rip of a key into the lock, signaling Shiro’s return.

Thinking he should at least spend a tiny bit of a quality time with Shiro before falsely presenting him as his date (mostly in part to lessen his guilt over lying to Allura), he had decided to settle himself comfortably into the couch in the living room with his laptop so he can greet Shiro when he comes home.

“Welcome back,” he says the moment Shiro closes the door behind him. “How was the show?”

“Hey,” Shiro grins as he takes off his shoes. “Good, good. It was really good. Those guys are always so great. If you ever come back to LA in the future, you should check them out.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Keith replies. Privately, he’s not sure he’d ever come back to LA just for his leisurely vacation time, although the city is nice. He just doesn’t know what he’d be here for.

“By the way,” he says, walking over to where Keith is sitting. “What time do I need to get to the wedding tomorrow?”

“Oh, umm…” Keith thinks back to the schedule Coran had drilled into their heads earlier that night. “I have to be there pretty early, around 9. You’re free to come with but there won’t be much to do until maybe half an hour before the wedding actually starts around 4. My friends Hunk and Pidge are probably going to pick me up in their rental car.”

“I can go early with you,” Shiro says automatically, dropping down on the couch next to him.

Keith tilts his head at him. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to be bored or anything…”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Shiro waves a hand at him. “I can help out.”

For some reason, Keith feels something warm and bright spreading in his chest upon hearing these words. These people are complete strangers to Shiro and yet, he’s offering to help. It isn’t a disingenuine type of kindness either, but an earnest eagerness to step into someone else’s big day and extend a hand. It’s something Keith himself wouldn’t have taken initiative doing himself, but he respects Shiro for it all the more.

“You — you really don’t have to—”

“I know.”

Shiro smiles. The gentleness of his expression gives Keith that swooping sensation, like he’s just missed a step. “Hey. If you’re going to bring me into an event where I get free food and drink, especially when I’m just a stranger…” he shrugs. “It’s the least I can do.”

“That’s…” Keith looks down at his lap, suddenly unable to look him in the eye. “That’s a really kind thing to do.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shiro says, placing a hand on his shoulder. Keith glances back up at him and realizes his mistake at once. Feeling Shiro’s warm hand near his neck and seeing that kind smile up close and personal like this is doing funny things to his stomach. “It’ll be my pleasure.”

Keith swallows and tries to smile back. “Cool. Hey, I was wondering… I know it’s late but, do you want to watch something?”

Shiro tilts his head in mild surprise. He finally slides his hand off his shoulder, resting his arm on the couch behind Keith’s head. “Right now?”

He glances uncertainly at the clock above the TV.

“It doesn’t have to be long,” Keith rushes to specify. “It’s just — how I generally like to unwind after a long day, and am just extending the invitation if you wanted to join.”

“Maybe…” Shiro shifts his gaze over to his DVD collection on the shelf beneath the TV. “I don’t know if I own any movies that are under two hours.”

“That’s okay,” Keith says. “If you have Chromecast, I actually had this hour long space documentary my friend Pidge recommended that I’d been thinking about checking out and—”

“A  _ space _ documentary?” Shiro’s eyes light up at once. “Alright, say no more. You’ve convinced me.”

“Really?” Keith blinks, surprised at this unexpected enthusiasm.  _ That was easy… _

“Yeah!” Shiro grins. “Just let me brush my teeth and go get changed into something more comfortable. Be back in a few minutes.”

“Oh — okay,” Keith says blankly as Shiro stands up from the couch and heads towards his room. “I’ll set it up then.”

Ten minutes later, Shiro comes back out in loose, baggy gray sweats and a white tee. Keith already has the video up and ready on the TV Screen

“ _ ‘What’s the Universe made of,’ _ ” Shiro reads out loud. “That sounds super intriguing.  _ ‘Everything we experience on Earth, the stars and galaxies we see in the cosmos—all the “normal” matter and energy that we understand—make up only 5% of the known universe.’ _ ”

He lets out a long whistle. “Is this really what you watch to ‘unwind’?”

“Yes,” Keith mutters, his cheeks burning. Although he’s had ulterior motives for drawing Shiro out to watch a documentary with him, Keith truly hadn’t been lying about that. “It’s a perfectly reasonable past time.”

“No, yeah, of course! I think it’s really neat. I’m the same way, too,” Shiro tells him, elbowing him in the ribs. Keith receives a flutter in his stomach at that.

_ He’s your Airbnb host,  _ he reprimands himself in his head.  _ In a few days, you’ll be parting ways. This is just a temporary arrangement. _

Even so, he can’t shake the pleasant feeling that curls up in his chest as he watches Shiro lean back in his seat, eyes completely focused on the video. It’s rare to find someone this kind and attractive who also shares in his hobbies and intellectual interests too. When he hits the play button, Shiro’s face is rapt with attention. Keith can feel the warmth emanating from his chest and arms as Shiro crosses them and relaxes beside him. It’s nice. And who knows? Maybe they could keep in touch after this trip, stay friends, watch more documentaries over Rabbit together… Keith is open to all sorts of possibilities.

True to Pidge’s word, the documentary is incredibly fascinating. Keith is left at the end of it with the utter and humbling feeling that  _ the universe and everything inside of it is all made from the same cosmic dust. _ For the first few seconds during the end credits, he’s silent and speechless. Then, with a yawn, Shiro begins to tell him all of his thoughts on the episode and touches on concepts ranging from quantum mechanics to the implications of life and and philosophy. Keith nods along vaguely, feeling sleepy and content listening to the low, soft timber of Shiro’s voice discussing deep, metaphysical musings, occasionally offering a few thoughts of his own. It’s easy talking with Shiro, Keith reflects in mild surprise, and he discovers that he would like to keep talking to him for hours. He hasn’t really felt that way with anyone before.

It’s well past 2:30 AM when Shiro finally pats him on the shoulder and tells him they should both turn in for the night. Although Keith knows he’ll already be having it rough when he wakes in the morning, disappointment still seeps in when Shiro stands up from the couch and starts heading towards his room in the back of the hallway. He can already feel the loss of warmth in the seat next to him. Dreading the fact that he’ll have to wake up in about five hours, Keith drags himself off the couch and follows suit.

When his alarm wakes him up in the morning, Keith has the annoying feeling that he hasn’t actually slept that much. His eyes are heavy and his brain still feels halfway submerged beneath his consciousness.

Without lifting his head, he reaches for his phone and silences it.

It’s 7:15. They need to leave at eight. Outside his room, a series of clinking sounds and metal scraping travel over from the kitchen. It takes Keith a few seconds to realize that it’s just Shiro cooking.

With a great yawn, Keith stretches his arms out above him and then makes his way out of bed with his toiletry bag in tow. The moment he opens the door, he’s hit with the tantalizing smell of bacon and eggs, driving all thoughts of brushing his teeth out of his head. Following his nose, Keith pads into the kitchen, eyes still bleary and blinking awake.

The sizzle of oil and the clink of spatula to pan gets louder as Keith approaches. Leaning his shoulder against the door frame, he rubs his eyes and looks up.

Keith feels like all the air has left his lungs. He doesn’t know where to look but it’s impossible to glance away. Swallowing thickly, his eyes trace the outline of back muscles sloping down all that skin, ending right at the hip where a towel covers the rest from view.

Shiro isn’t just making breakfast. He’s making breakfast  _ shirtless _ . Needless to say, Keith is no longer feeling sleepy.

Thinking he should probably hurry off to the bathroom so he doesn’t get caught staring, Keith straightens up and tears his eyes away from the glorious sight before him. He only gets one step away when Shiro unfortunately notices he’s there.

“Oh, hey, Keith,” he greets, turning around to face him. Keith nearly trips but sways back into his original standing position as smoothly as he can, hoping he’ll be able to pass this off as surprise at Shiro catching him on his way to the bathroom. “Good morning.”

“Uh — hi,” he smiles weakly. “Good morning.”

“Just thought I’d whip up a quick breakfast before we leave. Do you want any?”

The bacon continues to sizzle on the pan. Keith is certain his face matches it in heat. “Um — sure. I’m good with whatever.”

“Feel free to help yourself to some coffee or tea,” Shiro offers, pointing his spatula at the cupboard above the counter.

“Thanks,” Keith says as Shiro turns back to the pan. Try as he might, Keith can’t seem to unglue his eyes from the dip right above Shiro’s waist. “Um—” his mouth feels dry — this is  _ not  _ good. “I’m gonna go brush my teeth first.”

And with that, he hurries off to the bathroom.

The mirror is still slightly fogged up from Shiro’s shower. Keeping the door open for better ventilation, Keith sets his bag down on the counter and pulls out his toothbrush. Tuned out to the repetitive, everyday sound of brushing his teeth, Keith’s mind wanders back to the kitchen. Toned back muscles. Sloping dip.

Truly, he wouldn’t mind waking up to a view like  _ that _ every morning.

Once he rinses his mouth and finishes up, Keith quickly gets changed back in his room before heading back out into the kitchen.

By the time he gets back, Shiro is done cooking and has, to Keith’s disappointment, donned on a t-shirt.

“Ready to eat?” he asks with a smile.

Keith can’t help but smile back. “Yup.”

He goes to make himself to a cup of coffee from the cupboard and settles in the seat next to Shiro at the dining table while the water boils.

“So you’re from Texas,” Shiro starts out conversationally. “How does LA compare?”

He takes a bite of his eggs and Keith follows suit.

“Well, it’s true what they say,” he shrugs. “Everything is bigger over there.”

Shiro laughs. “California’s pretty big too. But I see your point. I’ve heard a thing or two about Texan barbecue.”

“Oh yeah. I’ve seen what y’all think Texan barbeque is when it’s really just grill,” Keith shakes his head. “It’s embarrassing.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Shiro says with a chuckle. “We’ve got that sea breeze though.”

“Definitely can’t argue with that,” Keith grins, shoveling another slice of bacon into his mouth. Upon seeing the apologetic look in Shiro’s expression, he shakes his head. “Don't worry, I’m not attached to Texas anyway. It’s just where I live.”

“Oh?” Shiro raises his eyebrows. “So you don’t really feel that sense of  _ home _ there?”

The click of the water boiler finishing rings out from the kitchen. Keith excuses himself from the table briefly to finish making his cup of coffee. When he returns, he sets his mug down on a coaster and sits back down.

“Home…” Keith contemplates the word, rolls it around in his head. “I don’t know. Ever since my dad passed away, I think both my mom and I kind of lost sense of that word. I left home during college and haven’t moved back since. We’re content though,” he rushes to add, seeing the sympathetic look on Shiro’s face. “I’m just about an hour drive away in the next city so I visit every now and then. I still live near the friends I’ve found through college, and they’re all going to the wedding as well, so it isn’t lonely or anything. I just don’t really have any attachments to any one place.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Shiro says. After a pause, he goes on. “Do you travel a lot? Maybe you just haven’t found a city that you feel at home in yet. For example, when I visited Japan for the first time a few months after college, I felt a sort of kinship with the place I’d never felt before anywhere else. Being third gen Japanese, I never really had a reason to visit growing up as a kid, but the moment I stepped out into the busy streets of Tokyo, I just thought, ‘Wow. This feels like the home I never knew I belonged in.’” He breaks into a small chuckle. “Sometimes I get homesick for Japan still, but I’m also happy where I’m at now.”

“That’s neat that you were able to feel that connection with the place,” Keith says. “I’ve never been out of the country. I guess I don’t know that it’s something I’ve felt the need to actively seek for myself, a city where I belong.”

“Hm,” Shiro hums in thought. “I think for some people, home isn’t necessarily a place.”

Keith sets his mug down after a sip, considering the idea.

“You might be right about that,” he says. “It’s really just a concept.”

“A nice one though,” Shiro agrees. He glances at his watch. “Shoot. We should probably get going. Don’t want to be late. You should never keep the bride waiting on her wedding day.”

Alarmed, Keith glances down at his half-finished food and scarfs the rest of it within the next minute before they both make to clean up their dishes. Perhaps it’s all this talk of home, but something about the way Shiro grins back at him fills his chest with a warm, cozy feeling, like being comforted beneath blankets after a long day out.

It’s another feeling he thinks he can get used to.

 

✈✈✈

 

Despite how reasonably close the venue is, it takes nearly forty minutes for them to arrive. An accident somewhere down the 405, apparently, according to Waze. In the end, they get there just fifteen minutes early.

Once Shiro pulls into the parking spot and kills the engine, Keith makes up his mind about something.

“Hey, Shiro,” he turns to his host as he unbuckles his seatbelt. “I — uhh, there’s probably something you should know before you meet everyone.”

“Sure thing. What’s is it?” Shiro asks.

Keith shifts his gaze down to the floor, suddenly unable to look at him. “Um, well. You know how I said the bride, Allura, likes to play matchmaker with me? I, um, may have misled her, and the rest of the wedding crew by proxy, that you’re, uh, my boyfriend.”

To his surprise, Shiro starts laughing.

“I just — I thought I should warn you,” Keith finishes lamely.

“Not a problem, Keith,” Shiro assures once he comes down from laughter. “I’ve had my fair share of strange situations. This’ll be fun.”

Keith lets out a slow exhale. “If you say so.”

Grabbing their suits and dress shoes, they get out of the car and enter the building.

Hunk is the first to greet him once they step into the venue. Allura is upstairs getting ready, Pidge is checking the sound system, and Keith almost gets bowled over by Romelle, who’s chasing after the event coordinator for some reason or other. When Keith turns back to ask Hunk where to hang their suits, he finds that he and Shiro are already engaged in deep conversation about baked goods and best restaurants in LA.

The sight makes him smile. Of course Shiro would be perfectly charming to all his friends and could easily slip right into conversations with them. Keith needn’t have worried after all.

The morning flies by with all the set up work they have to do, and after lunch, the wedding party change into their outfits for photos. Despite how long the day is going to be, Keith doesn’t see Shiro complain once. He checks in with him whenever he can and is always greeted with the usual patient smile and amiable chuckle.

Due to the fact that Lance isn’t supposed to catch a single glimpse of Allura before the ceremony, it isn’t until half an hour before the start of the wedding that Keith finally gets to see her.

Having completed her bridesmaid group photos, she’s sitting on a cushioned bench in the dressing room upstairs in front of the mirror, looking radiant in her long mermaid-style wedding dress. It’s sleek and elegant, backless with a sweetheart neckline, and her hair is up in a bun, loose curls framing her face. Keith knows without a doubt that the mere sight of her is going to make Lance cry.

She turns around when she hears him approach, and a wide grin spreads across her face.

“Keith! You’re here!”

Standing up at once, she pulls him into a hug.

“Hey,” Keith says, unable to stop himself from smiling. It’s not everyday you see your best friend about to get married.

“How’re the boys?” she asks when she pulls away, eyebrows raising in concern.

“It’s not your day to worry about that,” Keith chuckles. “But to answer your question, they’re doing just fine.”

Allura smiles softly at the news and sits back down in her seat. Keith plops down next to her.

“Can’t believe it’s finally happening,” she says in a quiet voice. “All this planning, and it all comes down to this one moment.”

“Hey,” Keith nudges her shoulder with his. “That may be true, but that’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself. On both of you. The stakes are high but you’ve known this was coming for a long, long time so… from here on out, just enjoy the ride.”

Allura lets out a shaky laugh and dabs at the corner of her eye. “Don’t make me cry just yet, Keith. It took me three hours to get my hair and makeup done. I need to make it to the altar first.”

“Don’t worry,” he grins. “I’ll make sure you get there in one piece.”

Allura blinks back her tears, successfully holding herself back from letting anything leak down her face, and smiles back. “I love you, Keith.”

“Love you, too.”

She remains smiling for a few moments before breaking her gaze to glance at the clock over by the wall. About seventeen minutes left until the start of the ceremony. By Keith’s guess, it will start a little late; after all, the guests need to be seated first.

She groans. “This is torture. Talk to me about something, anything, to pass the time.”

Keith purses his lips. “Okay. Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Allura looks up at the ceiling, casting about for a topic. Her face lights up after a second and she turns back to Keith. “I know! Tell me something about Shiro. Since I won’t have a lot of time to get to know him tonight, I want to hear more about him.”

Dread spills down his spine at her request and Keith breaks eye contact at once, glancing down at the floor. Gathering his wits about him, he clears his throat and finds his voice again.

“Um — yeah… Yeah, okay. Well—” Keith runs through his mind everything he’s learned about Shiro so far, trying hard not to let it land for too long on the dip of hipbones Keith had seen earlier that morning. He rewinds further back and settles on their activity from last night. “He likes space documentaries. Really into them.”

“Really?” Allura asks, both eyebrows raised. “That — that’s perfect for you!”

“Yup.”

“What else? Favorite food? What’s he like?”

“Uhh — mac and cheese,” Keith invents, spouting out the first thing that comes to his head. “He’s really nice. And not just, you know,  _ nice _ . He’s the kind of person that’s really genuine in his kindness.”

Keith pauses, reflecting back on his words. He’s only known Shiro for roughly two days and yet, that description had come so easily to him. He also finds that he’s not lying or stretching the truth at all.

“Sounds like a dream,” Allura grins, tilting her head back towards him. “Tell me more. How did you say you met him again? He lives here, doesn’t he? How did that happen?”

“Oh — yeah, that. Um, well, you see…” Keith trails off, realizing he has nothing good immediately up his sleeve to answer this question. “I — I guess it was…”

“Ah, I think I understand,” Allura levels him with a cool, knowing smile.

_ Shit, she knows.  _ Keith holds his breath, gearing up for the accusation that’s bound to come next.

“Was it through an online app?” she asks sagely. “You know, you don’t have to be embarrassed about meeting someone online. More than half my friends are meeting their significant others online these days. It’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

“It’s not — I didn’t—”

But even as Keith tries to correct her incorrect assumption, he realizes that meeting Shiro online is actually not too far from the truth.

“Well — I guess technically — yeah. Yeah. You’re right. It was online.”

“I knew it,” she says proudly with a glowing smile. “Which app was it?”

_ Airbnb,  _ he refuses to say. Luckily, at that moment, there’s a knock at the door, relinquishing Keith from having to respond any further.

“Allura?” Coran’s voice.

“Yes, Coran?” she calls out.

“There’s a little over five minutes left. You both ought to start coming downstairs, not to mention Keith needs to line up first!”

“Shit,” Keith mutters, getting up to his feet at once. He pats his chest and looks around. “I haven’t gotten my boutineer on yet.”

“We’re coming, Coran!” Allura shouts before standing up herself. She slips into her fancy, white shoes and lays a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Go get your flower. I’ll be down when it’s time.”

Keith scurries out the room and nearly topples down the stairway back to the main hall. In his haste to get back to the other groomsmen, he hops the last four steps and runs smack dab into something huge and solid.

“Ow! Sorry, sir, I need to—”

A hand grabs him by the arm and steadies him. Head reeling from the fall, Keith tries to regain his balance then glances up.

Shiro’s smiling face greets him, looking intently down at him.

“You look like you’re in a rush,” he observes.

Keith’s heart races, if possible, even faster. Shiro’s changed out of his day clothes and into his suit and — Keith swallows — it’s good. It’s a good look. The sleek dark gray of his jacket hugs his torso perfectly, the white fabric of the shirt underneath stretching across his chest. The entire outfit makes his throat clam up and for a moment, Keith almost forgets why he’d been a rush to get downstairs.

“M-my pin — thingy!” Keith scrambles out of Shiro’s arms, cheeks searing hot. “Shit — I’ve got five minutes to—”

“Looking for this?” Shiro asks with a chuckle. He pulls out a plastic box with a pink flower resting inside of it. 

“Oh, thank god,” Keith exhales, taking it from him. He opens the box and looks down at it, pausing to think. “Uh, do you think you could…?”

“Sure,” Shiro replies before Keith can finish the sentence.

Taking the boutineer out from the box, Shiro undoes the pin and reaches out for Keith’s jacket. Keith holds his breath as Shiro works to attach it properly.

“Good to go?” Keith asks when Shiro pulls back.

“Looks good to me,” he grins, and Keith’s stomach does a backflip. “Come on. Let’s go get you lined up.”

Shiro takes a seat at the edge in a row close to the front. When the music starts up, the groomsmen file in and line up in position at the altar, set on the wide balcony with the ocean behind them as their backdrop. Compared to the rehearsal run, the captive gaze from the audience rapt with attention makes him feel like he’s not in his own skin. One look over at Lance  though tells him he’s way more nervous than any of them.

As the procession music continues to play on, Keith steals a glance over at Shiro to check in on him. He gives a little smile and a wave and a Keith can’t help but smile back. Even though they’re not actually dating, even though Keith’s only known him for a few days, seeing him there with his reassuring smile is strangely comforting.

A few minutes later, the bridesmaids begin waltzing in one by one, each looking radiant in her own right. When the last one trickles in and gets into position behind Romelle, the music fades. An expectant air settles into the crowd. It’s Allura’s time to shine.

A different piano motif picks up. Keith can visibly feel Lance tense up beside Hunk. The doors, which had been closed after Shay had walked in, open again, and there in the middle of the frame stand Coran and Allura, both with overjoyed grins on their faces.

The audience stands up at once. Allura steps forward, pink bouquet in hand, her long train trailing behind her. Even though Keith had just seen her, the receding sunlight from behind the altar streams in, lighting her white dress up until it’s practically glowing, drawing the collective breaths of everyone in the room. Although every eye in the room is upon her, her own are fixed on Lance’s watery gaze, corners crinkling with overflowing love.

The rest of the wedding goes off without a hitch. Coran both leads Allura in and officiates. Having known Allura his whole life, and Lance for a good amount of time as well, Coran’s overall speech is chock full of good anecdotes and references. There are laughter and tears, inside jokes and heartfelt memories. Every once in a while, Shiro catches Keith’s gaze and gives him a knowing smile. When it comes time to kiss the bride, everyone cheers as Allura is the one who tugs at Lance’s tie to bring their lips together.

The rest of the late afternoon before sunset is dedicated to wedding party and family photos. While fun at first, Keith’s cheeks are already hurting from all the smiling he’s done since the start of the ceremony, well before the photoshoot is even close to being over. He’s probably smiled more in the last hour than he has in his entire life put together.

Thankfully, twenty minutes later, the party is dismissed so that Lance and Allura can take both family and solo couple shots. Feeling bad about leaving Shiro alone for the last forty minutes, Keith goes to find him at once.

When he gets inside the dining area where everyone is munching on hors d’oeuvres and sipping cocktails, Keith spots Shiro’s shock of white hair across the room in front of the cheese platter. He grimaces, however, when he sees who’s engaged him in conversation.

“I’m telling you, there’s a thirty percent chance you should get your ankle checked out!” Keith hears Dr. Slav say as he approaches. “That’s just one of the consequences of you deciding to step on this little crack in the middle of this room!”

“I didn’t —  _ decide  _ — to step there, I just —  _ happened _ to step there,” Shiro says through gritted teeth.

Keith rushes up to them before Slav can say another word. “Hey — I’ve been looking all over for you.”

The look of relief on Shiro’s face upon Keith’s appearance is something Keith won’t be quick to forget. It’s comical and he almost wants to laugh, but now is not the time.

“Nice to see you, Dr. Slav,” Keith blurts out of politeness. “Catch you on the dance floor later?”

Then, before either of them can say anything else, he herds Shiro away and towards their table.

“Thank you,” Shiro sighs, shoulders slumping. “I thought I was going to be stuck there forever.”

Keith laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that uncomfortable before.”

“What, in the span of the last three days you’ve known me?” Shiro jokes, shaking his head. “No, you’re right. I don’t get like this a lot.”

“Sorry about that,” Keith says, still grinning from the amusement of it all. “He’s a family friend of Coran’s. Unavoidable. A big scientist and researcher with a brain too big for his own good. Want me to get you a drink?”

“Please,” Shiro smiles. “Anything with whiskey, or a long island, would be great.”

“You got it.”

 

Aside from any groomsmen duties that rise up, Keith ends up spending the majority of his evening talking to Shiro. During dinner, when they’re all sitting together at the same table, Hunk and Pidge never stop talking to him. Keith is glad Shiro is able to entertain them for so long. Hunk is offended he’d never heard about him from Keith, taking this opportunity to gush at Shiro and get to know him as much as he can, while Pidge immediately takes interest in the fact that Shiro is also into space documentaries.

“You should Rabbit with us sometime,” she suggests after a ten minute discussion about the topic. “I’d love to hear your thoughts on the next one we watch. PBS is going to release one soon about Pluto and beyond.”

Shiro chuckles. “Of course. That sounds really interesting. I look forward to it.”

Pidge beams, all four front buck-teeth gleaming in the dim light.

“You’re awesome, Shiro,” she says, patting his shoulder. “We like you, you can stay.”

“Stay?” Shiro tilts his head, throwing Keith an amused but questioning look before shifting his gaze back to Pidge. He chuckles. “Glad I made the cut.”

“Not that we really had a big pool to cut from…” Hunk mutters. Keith elbows him in the ribs.

Shiro laughs again, and to Keith’s utter surprise and bewilderment, claps a hand on his shoulder and rubs a thumb over Keith’s neck. “Really? That’s surprising — with looks like his.”

Keith freezes up entirely, his heart pounding hard against his chest. It takes him a few moments to remember that it makes sense Shiro would say this, because Shiro has been playing along with being his plus one. Relief settles in and his shoulders relax, but before he can help himself, disappointment follows too, pooling unpleasantly in the pit of his stomach.

_ It’s just an act, _ he reminds himself before crossing his arms and scowling at Hunk just for something to do.

“Aww, I’ve never seen Keith so embarrassed before!” Pidge coos, then promptly breaks off into laughter at the murderous look on Keith’s face.

“Ohh man, you’re right,” Hunk grins, leaning back in his chair and admiring the effect of Keith’s glower. “Normally, Keith has such a high shame threshold. You’re a miracle worker, Shiro.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Shiro winks. While his thumb continues to trace circles around Keith’s neck, his fingers start gently grazing up into Keith’s scalp, causing Keith to suck in his breath. Although this initial contact was most likely part of an act, that last move had been a private one, definitely hidden away from his friends’ prying eyes.

“But wait…” Hunk trails off into thought. Keith’s stomach turns to ice. He knows that look. It’s the same look Hunk’d given Allura when she had first sworn to him that she didn’t have any feelings for Lance. “If Shiro lives in LA, why did you need to book an airbn—”

“ _ What _ are you guys still sitting around for?!”

The group jumps up at Lance’s voice as he claps Hunk and Keith on the shoulder hard. “Come on! The dance floor has started up already!”

“You’re lucky this is the only day I’ll do what you say with minimal repercussions,” Keith growls as he allows Lance to pull him out of his seat by the arm. He flashes Shiro a quick apologetic look but Shiro merely smiles and waves them off.

“I know and I’ve been fully taking advantage of it,” Lance replies smugly. He shoves Hunk, Keith, and Pidge forward towards the floorboard in the center of the room where Allura and Romelle are already bobbing together to the beat. “Now get out there and dance!”

 

✈✈✈

 

Keith doesn’t dance. He never dances. He doesn’t understand the innate desire to move with the beat that Lance embodies so well. Of course, they know this very well about him. As a result, Keith gets pushed between Hunk and Allura, who alternate grabbing his arms and making him raise them up and down as they pull him along in their stride, music blasting in their ears. Still, although he’ll never admit it, Keith has fun. Regardless of how they get on his nerves or step too closely into his space from time to time, he cares about these people, and they him. Allowing this in return — for Hunk to drag him along, for Allura to bump him with her hips, for Lance to yell in his ears loud enough to make him go deaf — is more than he can ever say.

It isn’t before long, however, that Keith gets tired. It takes a hell of a time to fully extract himself from the center of the dance party, but once he manages to do so, he stumbles away from the floor and back to their table.

Only to find that Shiro isn’t there.

Maybe he went for another drink? Keith looks around at the bar in the corner but doesn’t see him. For a fleeting second, he feels a deep sense of fear that maybe he’s run into Slav again on accident and needs rescuing, but not too long after this thought, Keith finds Slav and Coran arguing over something at their own table across the room.

Rolling his eyes, he turns to walk around the room, looking for Shiro.

The sun having set about an hour ago, the room has now been thrown into the dark, save for the extremely dim lighting and flashing strobe lights. It’s hard to even think given the loud volume of the music and the crowd, the bass beating so hard, Keith can feel it in his chest. After about five minutes of wandering around the venue, Keith decides he can’t take it anymore and pushes open the door to the balcony to catch a breather.

The noise fuzzes out as the door closes behind him. Only the sound of the waves crashing on the shore out here. Closing his eyes, Keith breathes in the ocean air and out, willing the exhaustion from being around too many people to slough off of him. When he opens his eyes again, he sees at once that he’s not alone.

There in front of him, Shiro stands alone at the balcony edge facing the beach, head tilted up towards the sky. He looks peaceful like that, but a little lonely too, and Keith feels a twinge of guilt wrapping itself around his spine for possibly encroaching on what appears to be such a vulnerable moment.

He’s about to turn around and go back inside when Shiro turns his head slightly and sees him.

_ Well, he’s already here, so might as well…  _

Clearing his throat he steps up to the railing beside Shiro and looks up at the sky as well.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” he says. “It was getting to be a lot in there and I wasn’t sure where you’d gone.”

“It’s fine,” Shiro replies with a reassuring smile. “I needed some air myself.”

They stand in silence, listening to the steady repetition of waves crashing and pulling back from the shore. Above them, the stars twinkle feebly down at them, faint and distant in the wake of urban lights below. Out here, with the sea breeze grazing their faces, the craziness of the party inside begins to truly fade away.

Keith glances over at Shiro again. It occurs to him then that if Shiro came out here alone, he may have felt out of place when he was inside.

“I hope the wedding has been… decently fun for you,” Keith tries, facing back out towards the ocean. “I know I’d have a hard time going to a party where I didn’t know anyone very well.”

Shiro lets out a light chuckle. “It has.”

When Keith doesn't respond, he continues. “To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a wedding, especially one where the couple is as young as they are, but your friends are really cool. They make me feel right at home.”

“Really?” Keith asks, surprised, turning to face him. “They make me want to leave home sometimes.”

Shiro laughs, looking over at him. “That’s because they  _ are _ your home. Like family, right?”

Keith shrugs. “Maybe.”

“How did you all meet anyway?” Shiro asks.

“Allura and I have been friends since birth because Coran and my mom know each other,” Keith says. “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have gotten as close to the rest of the gang. We all went to the same college.”

“And you’ve all stayed friends since then. That’s really nice.” Shiro turns back to face the sea. “I think you’ve all got a great thing going here. To tell you the truth—”

He cuts off with a sigh, then shrugs. “Well — never mind.”

“What?” Keith urges.

Shiro’s eyes droop a little, though he tries to maintain his smile. “I guess it’s just…” he trails off again. He pauses as he tries to put the words together in his head. “I think a community that’s filled with so much love and fun like yours is hard to come by these days, especially as you get older.”

He falls quiet. Keith waits, sensing that Shiro will continue if he gives him the space. After a few moments, he speaks up again.

“My parents both passed away when I was young, so I never really had a tight family growing up,” he says, eyes heavy on the dark horizon. “I think, for me at least, you’re forced to cope and grow in spite of it. Most days, this is all just part of existence. Other days… well. You know how we talked about the concept of home earlier today? I think… because of my upbringing, I only feel vestiges of ‘home’ in places like Tokyo or here in LA. But when it comes to people, I haven’t found anyone I’ve felt connected to in long time.”

His gaze drops down to the sandy beach below them and he lets out a sigh. Keith can only watch as Shiro processes his thoughts internally.

“Well,” he continues with a wry smile. “I thought I did at one point, but that relationship ended. Don’t worry,” he adds at the look on Keith’s face. “It was probably for the best. Since then though, I realized that I’ve always found that sense of belonging more so with cities than with people.”

He pauses, then turns to face Keith. “Perhaps the opposite is true of you.”

A cool chill wraps around Keith’s spine upon hearing the accurate precision of Shiro’s words. It makes him realize that he takes the gift of this community for granted sometimes. He may not always feel like home with them, or ever at all in any of the cities he’s ever lived in, but despite all this, Keith knows that through thick and thin, the gang will still be there whenever he needs a place for him to return to, and that is worth more than what most people will ever have.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Shiro,” Keith says, looking down at his hands. “I know it’s out of anyone’s control, but you deserve to have a place where you feel like you belong, too.”

“Thanks, Keith,” Shiro returns with a smile. “That means a lot to hear.”

“And if it’s of any consolation,” Keith adds, throwing Shiro a smile of his own. “My friends all really like you and hope you’ll really fit in with them too.”

“Yeah?” Shiro chuckles, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “You think so?”

“Oh yeah,” Keith reassures at once. “Hunk is definitely harboring a burgeoning crush on you.”

“I’m honored,” Shiro says, holding a hand to his heart.

Keith laughs. “Actually, I’m pretty sure to some extent, everyone in the gang probably has a crush on you. Even Lance and Allura. They have a crush on you as a unit.”

“What about you?” Shiro asks, tilting his head towards Keith with a questioning stare.

Keith’s heart jumps up into his throat. For a second, he thinks he’s misheard — there’s no way Shiro would direct such a forthright question like that at him. But as the words echo over and over again in his mind, each reverberation a pounding gong in his chest, Keith looks up into Shiro’s eyes full of gentle intent, and has to reassess.

He swallows, feeling his ears grow hot. “Wh-what about me what?”

Shiro grins and leans in until their noses are inches apart. “You said the whole gang has a crush on me. You’re in the gang too.”

“I—” Keith gulps. There’s a ringing in his ears and he’s not sure he can hear anything anymore save for the loud thumping of his heart. His eyes trail down Shiro’s face, the faded scar over his features, and end on his lips. The corners of Shiro’s mouth stretch as Keith stares, and it’s seeing the dawning of a smirk that compels Keith to do it.

( wc ) Before Keith can stop himself, his hand comes up to grip at Shiro’s shirt collar, and with one motion, pulls him down into an open-mouthed kiss. He hears a faint  _ mmf _ of surprise and vaguely wonders if he ought to stop, but in the next moment, Shiro’s lips start moving too, and he loses himself in the sensation of Shiro’s warm mouth pressing into his.

Although he’s a little bit out of practice, he tries to give as good as he’s got, so when Shiro’s teeth graze over his lip and his finger slides along Keith’s jaw to angle his head better, Keith takes that as a sign to deepen the kiss, feeling bold enough to swipe his tongue across the roof of Shiro’s mouth. He has no idea what this kiss means or how he and Shiro’s relationship will pan out after this, but he’s never had an easier time opening up to anyone before. He hopes that counts for something.

After a few moments, they break away, Keith’s mind and lips still buzzing from the adrenaline rush of what they’ve just done. Blood pounds in his ears, ringing with each crash of the waves on shore.

_ Whoa.  _ Keith looks up into Shiro’s eyes, his breath still rough and caught somewhere between his throat and his chest.

“Sorry,” he blurts out. Then, adding in a rush: “How do you feel about relocating to Texas?”

Shiro chuckles and slides a hand down Keith’s arm, interlacing their fingers at the end. “Actually, I was going to ask if you’d prefer LA.”

Keith stares, eyes wide with surprise. “You — you want me to—?” Keith had been partially joking when he’d asked about relocation. Partially.

“Hey,” Shiro says, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay. There’s no need to decide now. Just something to think about.”

_ Something to think about  _ indeed. There’s nothing really chaining him down in Texas, and Allura and Lance would be here too, though he’d probably have to explain the whole situation to his mom and eventually come clean about his lie to Allura.

Oh, god. His lie. Funny how that whole thing jumpstarted the transition into the truth. He has a feeling he’s going to be owing Allura for years.

Once the initial shock of Shiro’s big suggestion wears off, Keith finds himself curling his lips into a smirk.

“So… are you saying you’d like me to extend my stay?”

“Mmm, you could say that,” Shiro smiles, drawing Keith closer to him. “Either way, there’s always a vacancy for you.”

“Oh yeah?” Keith grins, tipping his head up to him. “You think I’ve outgrown the guest room?”

“ _ That’s  _ bold of you to say.”

“Is it?”

“Just think about it,” Shiro says before dipping in for another kiss.

Keith lets his eyes fall shut as he leans into Shiro’s touch. As they continue to kiss beneath the night sky, the spaces in his chest open up and fill with the warmest feeling he’s ever felt. Although Keith doesn’t know what the future will bring or where exactly they will end up, in this moment right here, with the ocean breeze and the sound of waves crashing in the distance, he is sure with absolute certainty that they are right where they belong.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](https://flusteredkeith.tumblr.com) and/or [twitter](https://twitter.com/lavendori)! :)


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